Patches fills a grid with rectangles and squares satisfying the preset clues. The shapes must cover the whole board with no overlap or gap. For a numbered area clue, start by treating its value as a count of cells. Apply any additional shape indicators shown in the current game instructions when filtering candidate rectangles.
Turn an area into possible dimensions
List the factor pairs of the required area before drawing a border. An area of 6 permits dimensions 1×6, 2×3, 3×2 or 6×1. The area count alone does not choose an orientation. Board edges, the clue's location, other clues and any shape restrictions reduce the options.
2 rows × 3 columns 1 row × 6 columns □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ Both contain six cells.
On a board only four columns wide, the horizontal 1×6 option does not fit. That does not eliminate a vertical 6×1 shape if the board is tall enough. Keep dimensions tied to actual rows and columns rather than treating a rotated shape as the same placement.
Placement matters as much as dimensions
A 2×3 rectangle can slide across several positions while containing the same clue. Check each possible top-left corner rather than choosing the most symmetrical-looking placement. Eliminate a candidate if it extends beyond the board, overlaps a confirmed patch, or conflicts with another clue's requirements.
A shape that fits one clue is only locally valid. Before confirming it, ask what it leaves for neighboring clues. If the only remaining region cannot be covered by any legal candidates, the attractive rectangle was part of an impossible branch.
Mark coverage shared by all candidates
If two remaining rectangles for a clue overlap in several cells, every cell in their intersection belongs to that patch. You can mark that shared coverage even before the complete border is known. Do not claim cells that occur in only one candidate.
Candidate A columns: 1 2 3 Candidate B columns: 2 3 4 Shared columns: 2 3 (the same two rows in both)
This deduction assumes those are all surviving candidates. An overlooked third placement might shrink the intersection. Candidate completeness is part of the proof, not an optional detail.
Check cells with only one possible owner
Inspect corners and narrow spaces between confirmed patches. If a cell can be covered by only one clue's legal rectangles, it must belong to that patch. Filter that clue's candidates to the rectangles containing the cell, then recompute any forced coverage.
This reverses the usual question. Instead of asking where a clue's rectangle can go, ask which clue could cover a particular square. Alternating between these two views often reveals constraints missed by repeatedly adjusting one patch.
Use area as a check, not a complete proof
A 4×4 board contains 16 cells. Candidate patch areas totaling 16 are necessary for full coverage, but they can still overlap and leave a gap. Conversely, a set of non-overlapping shapes can fail because the unused area cannot be partitioned according to the remaining clues.
After a forced placement, inspect the remaining space. An L-shaped remainder cannot be filled by one rectangle. It may be perfectly possible for several patches to cover it, so reject it only after considering the clues still available.
Finish with a border audit
For each patch, count its height and width, multiply to check its area, and compare its shape with the clue. Then scan every board cell for gaps and overlaps. If a contradiction appears, return to the last unproved rectangle choice rather than changing a forced border at random.
Official overview: LinkedIn's Patches announcement. Consult the current game for its full clue notation. The worked shapes here illustrate general area and coverage deductions.
Patches game guide · Zip: preserving access to unused cells · All guides